M.D. Creekmore, of The Survivalist Blog gives us six important reasons why some preppers won’t survive when the SHTF.
Hat tip to Tess at Ready Nutrition for the link.
We’ve included some brief excerpts from the article below:
Overconfidence – The overconfidence effect is a bias in which someone’s subjective confidence in their judgments and abilities is greater that their actual skill set or knowledge.
Procrastination – Procrastination, the habit of putting things off to the last possible minute, can get you killed. In a true collapse situation you may not have time to run to the corner grocery to stock up.
Inefficient use of resources – Wasting money (resources) on things of lesser importance, while neglecting the stuff needed to survive.
Failure to act – This one ties in with procrastination and indecision and many of us suffer from it. Not only will it interfere with your survival plans it can stop you from planning at all. Look at your situation, form a plan (write it down) and do it. No excuses.
Lack of persistence – Most people start their survival preps with the utmost determination and desire to get things done – but they stop when they run into the first obstacle. They lack persistence.
Divided actions – Many preppers run around like the chicken with its head cut off. Their actions are divided, to the point where they never get anything done.
I would admit that I can be classified as “Divided”. I find that lack of funds are a contributing factor as well as the fact that I spend an enormous amount of time reading articles of how bad things are (truthful articles) rather than self sustaining articles.
I do know that I should spend more time reading the numerous bookmarked survival pages but also just realizing that because I classify my self as “Divided”, I also now need to acknowledge my “Lack of Persistence”.
I guess my eyes just opened a little wider with this article.
I’m no spring chicken. I’m closing in on 50 pretty fast. I was raised on a farm where we tried to do most stuff on our own and not borrow gobs of money and get ourselves in debt. When it comes to making money, farming sucks. I learned that its not what you have in your hand, in your pantry or in your pocket that counts. Its not even what you have in your head that counts. Its how you handle it. My father was somewhat of a “doomer”. He could see all of the things that were going wrong. He’s 87 and still going strong. He was thinking and reading stuff on this subject before 99% of the survivalists today could go to the potty by themselves. He lived through the depression and he says we’ve got another one coming.
One thing he always said to me is that all this stuff helps, owning a little silver and gold, storing food, fuel, ammo. (Oh, gosh, ammo! His main hobby is/was shooting, as is mine. We’re set for ammo.) All that stuff helps, but, he always says its about “coping” with the problems. Not eating. Not surviving without money. Not protecting yourself. All are important but the most important is coping with it. He said in the depression, some people would just refuse to get out of bed and they would die. They’d get tired of dealing with the depression and they would be the depression. He taught me that, regardless of how bad it is, if you worry about it and wring your hands and hate life all the time, it will get worse.
I remember some of the simple things he used to do to make things fun. Make it fun! How can you do that, well, there are ways. But, the point is, life is life. You can choose to be a doomer with a frown on your face a live in fear, or, like a matador, you can prance and twirl and throw that cape out there. The bull is trying to kill the matador but, does the matador hate it? No! He loves it! He’s a performer. The bull might get him, but, until he does he flips the cape and the crowd ROARS!
Well, I say to this depression, “COME AND GET ME! …if you can!” When it gets here I plan to have it gutted, skinned and cooling out before lunch. Sound over confident? Not really. I know how well I can shoot and how well I can grow stuff and how well I can protect my family. On some of those finer points I’m a little shakey. I’ll do the best I can but I WILL NOT GIVE UP and I will have fun with it! You can bet on that!
There have been multiple times when I was a young man (11-15 yrs old) that I had to do things that men today would not know how to do. I figured it out. On my own, most of the time. Sometimes Dad would help me a little or a lot, depending. Because I learned that figure it out attitude a long time ago it has settled into my soul. So, maybe I sound a little cavalier, but, make no mistake about it, I am sincere. Lets get this depression train rolling! I’m tired of screwing around with this lightweight stuff! All this whining about this and that when its not even bad yet. (For some, its already really bad.)
I’ve seriously thought about teaching people how to cope with stuff. Its a depression. Get over it. Back to life. Most of the problem with people is they try to go back to their old lifestyle and they can’t. This is “depressing” to them. Change you attitude. Adopt a new lifestyle. Get over it.
Thanks Dad!